The present invention relates, in general, to the recovery of information from computer data storage devices and/or media and, in particular, to the recovery of information which is inaccessible by the normal operating environment and to a method for allowing remote diagnosis and remote rectification of such data loss.
The true value of a computing system to a user is not limited to the actual cost of the hardware and software components which comprise that system, but also includes the value of the data represented within that system. Indeed, it is quite common that the accounting data, intellectual property, design and manufacturing information, and/or other records which are stored on computing systems in personal and business use are ultimately of a value which far exceeds the value of the computing equipment itself.
Loss of the ability to access data on a computer storage device, such as a disk drive, can occur, often as a result of operator error, errant software, transient electrical events, acts of sabotage, or electrical/mechanical failures. In many cases, although the data is not accessible by the normal operating environment, the data itself still exists on the storage media, and can be rendered accessible by manipulating the on-media data structures which represent the file system(s) employed by the operating environment. Such manipulation of on-media data structures is most reliably performed by trained technicians equipped with highly specialized software tools.
It is occasionally the case that the inaccessibility of data can be the cause of significant cost and/or lost business, sometimes to a catastrophic degree. While some forms of data may be candidates for recreation, the cost of this recreation may range from trivial to prohibitive. Additionally, data recreation takes a finite time, during which aspects of business may be necessarily suspended or hampered due to dependence upon the inaccessible data. There also exist categories of data which are generally acquired in real-time which are not able to be recreated, and which can therefore be considered as irreplaceable.
Traditional redundancy mechanisms, such as off-line backup, tend to provide relief for data loss situations. Restoration from off-line backup can, however, be time-consuming and may provide data which is aged with respect to the data which could potentially be available through data recovery procedures. Therefore, even data losses which are theoretically restorable from off-line backup may be considered as potential data recovery candidates.
Commercial data recovery service businesses address these issues with various categories of service. These typically include both on-site and off-site services. Off-site data recovery services, in which the media or device containing the inaccessible data is processed by a data recovery technician at a service facility, requires physical removal of the media or device from the customer premises and transportation to the service facility. This can cause significant downtime due to the delays induced by shipping. There also exist situations where the data is sensitive and corresponding security considerations dictate that removal of data from the site is not advisable. Many situations are sensitive even to the delays induced by the use of overnight carriers. On-site data recovery services, in which the data recovery technician and specialized equipment travel to the customer premises and perform the service locally, can reduce down-time, but at the added expense of transportation of the technician and the necessary equipment to and from the customer site.
There are remote control methods which allow a computer to be attached to a communications line via communications hardware so as to be controlled by an operator at a second computer, also attached to the communications line via communications hardware. Such hardware configurations are typical in personal computers, and such remote control software is readily available for common personal computer operating systems. Examples of such remote control programs include PCanywhere, Remote 2, Carbon Copy, etc. A drawback of this approach is that the computer being recovered must be running an operating system which supports the remote control software. Therefore, this approach is useless when the operating system does not support remote control.
A system and method for reliably allowing the remote recovery of data from computer storage media and devices by a remote technician is, therefore, an acute need in the art. The conventional prior art requires the computer storage media or device to be processed by a technician, either at the customer site or the technician""s facility. Performance of data recovery services remotely, over a telephone link, has been successfully employed to overcome the shortcomings of on-site and off-site recovery, but requires that the target computer be able to load an operating system which supports the remote control software and allows access to the data which is desired to be recovered. Unfortunately, the circumstances leading to data loss can frequently also cause the normal operating system to be unstable or unusable. Accordingly, there is a particular need in the art for a method of providing remote data recovery capabilities even when the normal operating system is not necessarily loadable or dependable.
The present invention solves these problems and provides a method and apparatus for remote data recovery from computer data storage devices and/or media which is inaccessible by the normal operating environment and to a method for remote diagnosis and remote rectification of data loss.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a means to enable remote data recovery operations, including, but not limited to, those situations where the normal operating system is not operable.
One embodiment of the invention relates to a method of data recovery comprising the steps of:
establishing a communications link via communications hardware from a local computer having a storage device requiring recovery of data to a remote data recovery computer operated by a technician;
enabling the technician to interact with the local computer while having access to all data recovery programs which are resident at the remote data recovery computer; and
enabling the technician to diagnose and rectify the data loss of the storage device of the local computer.
In one embodiment, the principles of the present invention are achieved by implementing a bootable data recovery operating system which has sufficient functionality to allow communications via communications hardware to the remote technician. The remote technician is further equipped with specialized remote control software which allows communications with the computer running the bootable data recovery operating system via communications hardware. Once the computer under recovery and the remote computer are in communication, data recovery operations on the computer under recovery can proceed under complete control of the remote technician.
In the preferred embodiment, the remote data recovery operating system is sufficiently small to operate directly from its own distribution floppy disk, allowing data recovery operations to proceed in the absence of the normal bootable operating system. It is capable of loading data recovery utility software from either that same distribution floppy disk, or from the remote technician""s comparatively vast library of such software, via the communications hardware.
In the preferred embodiment, upon loading, the bootable remote data recovery operating system presents a limited number of choices to the local user, allowing the user to input information regarding the nature of the user""s data recovery needs and the user""s personal data. Once this information has been input, the local user can confirm his intent to have the operating system establish contact with the remote technician via attached communications hardware. This contact can commence the data recovery operation immediately, or, alternatively, may queue the request such that the data recovery operation proceeds at such time as the data recovery technician has had time to review the request and prepare for the data recovery operation. Once the data recovery operation commences, all control of the local computer is released to the remote data recovery technician. The technician is then able to operate the local computer as though the technician were seated directly in front of it, having access to all data recovery utility software which is available at the technician""s site, as well as any which might optionally reside on the data recovery operating system diskette.
In use, data recovery using one embodiment of the present invention might proceed by booting or loading the bootable remote data recovery operating program into the memory of the user""s local computer. The remote data recovery operating program then determines the specific hardware configuration of the user""s local computer. The remote data recovery operating program might then interrogate the user for his/her name, address, telephone number, etc. It might also interrogate the user for an explanation of the data recovery situation. The remote data recovery operating program then establishes an initial telephone link via communications hardware with the remote data recovery computer and downloads the information entered by the user in the above steps. If time allows, the technician at the remote data recovery computer then takes control of the user""s computer via the remote link and begins the remote data recovery process. Otherwise, a later time might be agreed upon for the remote data recovery process. Accordingly, the remote link is terminated and then re-established at the agreed upon time, whereupon remote data recovery commences.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter, which form a further part hereof, and in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.